Letter to Editor

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Editor,

The Bella Vista POA does not seem to appreciate what golfers who have lived here for 20 years or more have done to support the development of the golf courses as we know them today. They have never given us a break in green fees even though most courses do so for their senior citizens.

The reason I think we deserve a discounted green fee is what took place in the late 1990s and early 2000s. I don't remember the exact year. but let us say in 1998 the POA wanted to expand the Dogwood course by building what we know as the back nine. In order to do so, it asked the golfers to pay an extra $1 per round until it was paid for, which we agreed to do. We never heard when enough money to complete the project was collected, and it never took the extra dollar off of our green fees. The same thing happened in 2001(?) when the POA wanted to buy the land known as MOARK to build a new golf course. Again, we didn't know when it was paid for and it never took that dollar off of our green fees. Let's say that each of us who have played golf here for the past 20 years played three times per week from April to November. The result would be that each of us paid $3,360 extra due to the increases which should have been removed when the projects were completed.

The other issue I would like to address is the latest rule limiting the time permitted for each round. The POA is requiring everyone to complete 18 holes in four hours. This seems very unfair to those of us who have slowed down and take longer to walk to and from the cart, to tee boxes and greens. We were told at a meeting on March 1 that, if we fell behind the recommended pace, we would be told by a player's assistant to pick up our balls and move on to the next hole. If we have to pay the same green fee as others, we should be allowed to play all of the shots needed to complete the hole and our round.

A possible solution which I would suggest is to designate one course (Berksdale?) as a course for those who have lost some mobility and cannot walk as fast or as far. The following changes could be made: (1) Reduce the green fees; (2) Make new spaces for parking carts closer to the tee boxes and greens; and (3) Cut the rough low enough that a golfer won't have to spend time looking his ball.

Lastly, I would ask that you allow us to enjoy our time on the course without worrying about someone coming along to tell how we should be playing. We have been playing this game for a long time, and we know what works best for us to get the most enjoyment from our game.

Chet Campbell

Bella Vista

Editorial on 03/14/2018